1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to the field of portable electronic devices and, in particular, to the connection between a portable electronic device having a small display screen and a remote display device. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to an improved method and system for providing enhanced display capability for mobile phones and handheld devices using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) functionality.
2. Description of the Related Art
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is an electronic identification method, relying on storing and remotely retrieving data using devices called RFID tags or transponders. An RFID tag is a small object that can be attached to or incorporated into a device. RFID tags contain silicon microchips and antennas to enable the tags to receive and respond to Radio-Frequency (RF) queries from an RFID transmitter-receiver (transceiver).
RFID systems utilize an RFID transceiver unit (often referred to as an interrogator or base station) in order to query an RFID tag, which may be located at a distance from the transceiver unit. The silicon microchip within the RFID tag detects the interrogator's signal and transmits a response signal of encoded data via an antenna incorporated into the tag.
Mobile phones and handheld electronic devices can be found in almost every aspect of modem life. As the pervasiveness of mobile phones and handheld devices continues to increase, the portability and data storage capability of such devices continue to increase. Although the trend of technological advancement has continued at a similar pace with respect to the physical proportions, memory sizes, and processing speeds of the microchips within mobile phones and handheld devices, the display capacities of the built-in display screens of these devices has not advanced as rapidly. Consequently, an improved means of output display is needed. The present invention thus recognizes that a need exists for a method and system whereby mobile phones and handheld devices can connect directly and stream digital data to a remote display device, thereby leveraging the improved capacity and capabilities of the external display device.